The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) today praised congressional conferees for agreeing to maintain some restrictions on U.S. military assistance to Indonesia in the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2006. The Conference Report was filed yesterday.
"The Indonesian military is still a long way off from constituting a professional institution respectful of human rights and fully accountable to civilian authority. We are very pleased that Congress recognizes this," said Karen Orenstein, National Coordinator of ETAN. "U.S. restrictions on military assistance provide key leverage to support justice for the people of East Timor and Indonesia and must be maintained."
The Senate-House of Representatives conference committee agreed to continue restrictions on Foreign Military Finance (FMF) and export of "lethal" military equipment to Indonesia until certain conditions, similar to those initially passed by the Senate, are met. These conditions include prosecution of those responsible for human rights violations and implementation of reforms to enhance civilian control of the military. The House version of the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill would have removed all restrictions on military assistance. The final bill makes an exception for the Indonesian navy, providing $1 million in FMF.
The legislation also requires a detailed report on U.S. and Indonesian efforts to bring to justice those responsible for the ambush and murder of two U.S. citizens and an Indonesian in West Papua on August 31, 2002. The Senate version of the bill would have withheld International Military Education and Training until the report was issued.
The conferees further directed the Secretary of State to submit a report on troop deployments and humanitarian and human rights conditions in West Papua and Aceh, Indonesia's most repressed provinces. This reporting would include "the extent to which members of Indonesia's security forces support these [jihadist-oriented] militia," and "the extent to which international funding for reconstruction in Aceh is being contracted or subcontracted to firms controlled by or affiliated with the Indonesian military." The report was part of the Senate version of the bill.
"Unfortunately, any U.S. assistance will be viewed by the still unreformed and intensely corrupt Indonesian military as an endorsement of business-as-usual, not as a reward for very modest reforms. The navy, like the other elements of Indonesia's security forces, remains largely unaccountable for many human rights violations. It has a notably grisly record in West Papua," said Orenstein.
In September, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops called for placing human rights conditions on military assistance to Indonesia, as have many other religious leaders and members of Congress not participating in the conference committee. Representatives of 48 human rights, faith-based, arms control and peace groups also wrote to Congress urging continued restriction of military assistance.
"We especially thank Senator Leahy and Representative Lowey for resolutely ensuring that Congress continues to act as the government's conscience in supporting peace and justice in Indonesia and East Timor," Orenstein stated.
The bill earmarks $19 million in Economic Support Funds for East Timor and $5 million and $1.5 million, respectively, in police training for Indonesia and East Timor.
For more background see http://etan.org/issues/miltie.htm.
ETAN advocates for democracy, justice and human rights for East Timor and Indonesia. ETAN calls for an international tribunal to prosecute crimes against humanity committed in East Timor from 1975 to 1999 and for continued restrictions on U.S. military assistance to Indonesia until there is genuine reform of its security forces.
The relevant text of the conference report can be found at http://www.etan.org/news/2005/11conf.htm.
Contact: John M. Miller (718) 596-7668; (917) 690-4391 (cell) Karen Orenstein (202) 544-6911